Drive-axle construction for motor-vehicles.



T R VEHlCLES.

DRIVE APPLICATION 'FILED )UNE 16. 1913.

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ARTHUR C. CULVER AND ALBRT W. RUSSEL, OF DETROIT, MlUHIGAN, :ASSIGNOBS T0 RUSSEL MOTOR AXLE COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF L MCHIGAN.

Anplicaticn led J une 16, 1913. Serial lia/.774931.

To all vwhom t may concern .i

Be it known that We, ARTHUR C. Corman and ALBERT lV. RUSSEL, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county oflVaynehnd State of Michigan, have invented certain ,new and useful Improvements in Brive-Axle `Construction for Motor,-Vehicles,- of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the..accompanyingdrawings.

The invention relates to drive axle ccnstructions for motor vehicles, and has more particular reference to the construction of the differential gearing and manner of mounting the same in the'aXle housing as hereinafter set forth. In the drawings: Figure l is a horizontal section through a portion vof a drive axle for motor vehicles to which our improve ments are applied; Fig. 2 is an eleva-tion of f the cover plate forI the differential gear viewed from'the inside; and Fig. 3 is ,aniy elevation thereof at right angles to Fig. Q.

Fier. 'et is a ers ect-ive View of the ca i member viewed from the inside With the detachable bracket.

ln the construction of drive. axles it is usual to arrange the differential gearing at the center and to inclose the same in an enlargement of the axle housing. rlhis gear- Ving includes the bevel gears which transmit .tachment of the parts for repairs.

the power from the longitudinal drive shaft, and it is therefore necessary to piovide bearings which take care of both radial and end thrust 'and permit of adjustment and det is usual to pr ride bearings upon opposite sides of the differential, each of which includes a radial thrust and end thrust portion. lilith the present invention We hare simplified the construction and facilitated assembly of the parts by placing a bearing for radial thrust only on the side of the differential adjacent to the bevel gear Wheel, and a bearing for end thrust in both directions upon the opposite side of thc diff ferential. 'The latter bearing Will also take care of a small amount of radial thrust, buty as the heaviest radial load is immediately adjacent the bevel gear u'neel, the bearing in proximity thereto .vill receive the principal stress.

.fis shoivn, A and il are alincd sections of the axle, which at their inner ends are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. e, 1915. i

square to engage the bevel pinions B and B of the diiferential, between 'which are the bevel pinions C and C mounted on the bevel gear wheel D. This bevel gear Wheel is formed with a hub portion E on the sidev immediately adjacent thereto, and a correspending hub portion E is arranged upon the opposite side of the gearing, and together with the gear D forms the supporting bearings for the pinion C. F is a bevelr pinion meshing with the gear Wheel D, which is mounted upon the longitudinal transmission shaft G journaled in bearings.

in a housing I formed 'integral withwsr cap J for the axle'housing K. V u

For supporting the axle andthe dill'er- '10 ential gearing Within the housing K a radial 4: thrust bearing L is arranged to engage the hub E ony the side adjacent to the 'gear Wheel. D. Thisfas shown, is a. parallel roller bear-v y ling engaging an annular race member FL V secured in a bracket member M mountedupon the cap member J. A:On the opposite"l side an end thrust bearing N engagestheI hub E, and which, as shown, Zcnnprises ball bearing having the race memberfll@1 n j cured Vto the adjustable sleeve O, which'has a j 'threaded engagement with a bracketjmem? ber P securedito the cap member. The-co1 operating racinember -N2 ofthe `bearing i is clamped tothe hub E by lock' nuts Q, 485 so that longitudinal adjustment of the sleeve O Will shift the entire differential assembly, and will permit of adjusting the gear Wheel D in relation to the pinion F. 4

The brackets M and P are mounted upon 'the cap member il, and to permit of assembly of the differential at least one of these brackets must be detachable. As shown, `'the bracket M s integral with the cap member and the bracket P is detachably secured thereto. It is necessary to properly aline the bracket P with the bracket M, as Well as to hold it in an exact position, secured against longitudinal and lateral movement and properly7 spaced from the bracket M. 100 This We have accomplished in a simple manner by forming upon the cap member J bearing lugs R and R for the bracket P., Which lugs are faced on their inner sides to circular segments R2 concentric with the cen- 105 ter of the bearing N. y The bracketP is pro,- vided with complementary segments P alsb concentric with the center of the bearing,

Ebracket P may then be secured. in positionl l when the vparts are assembled-the I center of the bea-ring N will be spaced a iXed distance` from the center of 'the bearing L, While at the same time said bearing N is free to be rotatively adjusted into trueaxial alinement,witlithebearing L by rocking the segments I of the bracket ,P in contact With the surfaces R2 of the lugs R and R. The

by bolts S passing through the lugs R and R. and ears `T on the bracketa`s shown.l

y the'cons'truction asshown in operationfthemaximum portion of the radial load on the axle is borne by the radial thrust bearing L,';' a relatively small portion of the radial thrust being carried by the bearing N.

On the other hand, all of theend'thrustv in b othdiiections is carried bythe bearing N, andadjustment may be made by rotating thethreaded tsleeve O', which may then be locked by'a. set screw U engaging notches U in'the lflange. ,In assembling the parts, the bracket P v`is placed in position, after the axle and diii'eijeiitial gearing have first been circular segmental 'bearings R2 andP, said bracket will automatically adjust itself to aline the vbearing N. The bolts S are then tightened andvv'ill hold the-parts in this po- .,sition.. y, lWhat We clain'i as ourinvention is:

' LIna drive axle, the combination With the housing of va "differential gea-ring therein, incliidinga lbevel'gear Wheel 0n one' side thereof, a bearing for said differential gearing'arran'gdon the side adjacent to the cen? trai plane of said bevel gear and adapted for radial thrust, and a bearing `adjacent the opposite-# side Yof said differential gearing adapted for end thrust.

Q In a drive axle, the combination With a housing-'of ay differential gearing therein, a cap .for said housing, brackets projecting inwardly'from said cap upon opposite sides of .said differential gearing, a bearing for radial thrust secured in one of said brackets and supporting said gea-ring, and a bearing for end,v thrust. in both directions engaging the otherofsaid brackets and longitudinally adjustable' therein.

3; In a drive axle, the combination with 'a housing, of afditferential gearing therein,

av cap for 'said housing, brackets projecting inward irom said=ca-p upon opposite sides of said gearing, oiic'of said Abrackets being ixed in relation to said cap, a segmental bearing for the other of said brackets vupon said cap member concentric With an axis perpendicular to the axis of said axle, bearings in said brackets for said diderential adapted to be alined by the rotative adjustvment of said bracket having the segmental bearing, and clamping means for said bracket. y y .j

4. In a drive axle, the combination with a liousing,'of a differential gearing therein, Aa cap for said housing, a transmission shaft perpendicular to the axle journaled in said cap, annular'- brackets projecting inward from said cap upon opposite sides of said dijerential and concentric therewith, bearingsvfor said differential secured in said brackets, and means for securing one of said brackets at a Vfixed distance from the other of said brackets, permitting of rotative adjustment about an axis perpendicular to that of the axle for alining said bearings.

`-5. In a drive-axle, the combination with the housing, of a differential gearing thereprojecting inward from said cap on oppo- 'site Asides of said gearing and concentric therewith, one of said brackets being integral with the cap, a radial thrust bea-ring ing arranged on the side adjacent but in close proximity to the central plane of vsaid bevel gear and adapted for radial thrust,

and a bearing adjacent the opposite side of said diierential gearing adapted for-end thrust.

yIn testimony whereof We aiiix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR C. CULVER. ALBERT W. RUSSEL.

Witnesses:

M. CURRIE, W. A. SMrri-i. 

